What to Eat to Improve Your Mood

Dec 6, 2024

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Learn the skills to regulate your emotions, join the membership: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/membership

The most effective diet for mental health appears to be what is called the Mediterranean diet- this is a diet high in vegetables, fruit, legumes, beans, nuts, fish, unsaturated fats like olive oil, and it’s low in processed foods, red meat, and highly processed grains.

There have been a lot of studies on this type of diet, an overview of 41 studies involving over 1.5 million health adults found that a diet low in sugar, saturated fat and processed foods can reduce the risk of depression by 24%. Decreasing the inflammatory index was found to decrease inflammation in other studies. And people who were very careful to closely follow the mediterranean diet decreased their risk of developing depression by 33%.

A handful of studies show that the Mediterranean Diet can be even helpful for people with bipolar or schizoaffective disorders. Scientists believe there are 4 reasons that eating this way improve your mood.

Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell

Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com

Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell

Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.